Spreader handles everything thrown at it
Hamilton agricultural contractor Greg Langman says his Abbey AP900 multi spreader has handled “everything we have thrown it” in three years of operation, says the supplier, Farmgard.
Farmgard has recently expanded its already extensive range with the addition of Rolland muck-spreaders.
Based in northwest France, Rolland operates from a 50,000m2 factory and is celebrating 2016 as its 70th anniversary. Its first product was a wooden manure spreader.
At the recent Grasslandz demonstration the UK export manager Alex Clothier introduced the Rollforce range.
The Rollforce range of heavy-duty machines is aimed at contractors and large scale farmers. Each is identified by numbers on the side of the body, the first two digits referring to body length and the latter to the capacity in cubic metres.
Attention to detail is notable: the metalwork undergoes a process of shotblasting, followed by phosphating and electroplating, before a high quality two-pack top coat is applied. During the process the material is oven-baked twice ensuring a long service life.
At the front of the machine a wide, A-framed drawbar layout aids strength and stability when combined with the standard vertical spring, or optional hydraulic damping, said to promote a smoother ride. Oversize wheels and tyres also help with stability and more importantly reduce the rolling resistance, making the spreaders easier to pull off-road.
Also up front, the self-contained hydraulics require only a pto drive and electrical connection to the tractor, preventing cross-contamination of hydraulic fluids, and is further enhanced by the DPA system that automatically adjusts the bed speed irrespective of the tractor's forward speed, to maintain constant application rates.
The front panel of the spreader body allows the operator a view of the load and its progress, and 16mm marine-grade floor chains work with channel-profiled slats to take the load rearwards.
Federated Farmers president Wayne Langford says the 2025 Fieldays has been one of more positive he has attended.
A fundraiser dinner held in conjunction with Fieldays raised over $300,000 for the Rural Support Trust.
Recent results from its 2024 financial year has seen global farm machinery player John Deere record a significant slump in the profits of its agricultural division over the last year, with a 64% drop in the last quarter of the year, compared to that of 2023.
An agribusiness, helping to turn a long-standing animal welfare and waste issue into a high-value protein stream for the dairy and red meat sector, has picked up a top innovation award at Fieldays.
The Fieldays Innovation Award winners have been announced with Auckland’s Ruminant Biotech taking out the Prototype Award.
Following twelve years of litigation, a conclusion could be in sight of Waikato’s controversial Plan Change 1 (PC1).
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